The S.S. Montreal sailed from Antwerp, Belgium on June 14, 1904 with 147 adults and 58 children, arriving in Quebec on June 26. Appearing on page 2 of the passenger list are Frank along with his mother and oldest sister Stefania (Stella). The younger children were not yet born. According to the passenger list, their ultimate destination was Winnipeg. View the original passenger list and voyage summary by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page. Following is a transcription of the passenger list entries for the three Sikoras:
A few explanatory notes:
"No. of Passengers": Index number running down the list starting with 1 at the top. Has no direct meaning for passenger.
"Number of Railway Order." Unclear meaning.
"Inft." age given for Stella must mean "infant". She would have been less than 1 year old.
The entry "Galicia" (spelled here "Galacia") under "Nation or Country of Birth" is expected. This was the term used for the portion of Poland that was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until World War I, which is where Frank and family were born.
Some observations and comments:
The ages listed for the three passengers are in good agreement with known ages for Frank and Stella and other information we have for Bronislawa.
Reportedly, Bronislawa could read and write upon immigration. The 1920 census for the family again notes that she could read and write, but not Valentine.
Oral history tells us that Valentine and Frank immigrated first (while Gustav was turned back) and were granted a homestead in Canada. They then summoned the rest of the family, apparently represented by this 1904 passage. Interestingly, Frank was present along with the second party of immigrants. The ultimate destination listed here, Winnipeg, may give a clue as to the general whereabouts of the homestead. Preliminary contact with a Manitoba archives center indicated that an in-person visit to the center would be needed in order to search for homesteading records for the family.
Quarantine:
Upon arrival in Quebec, the three passengers were admitted to a quarantine facility for immigrants near the city and appear in its records. Read about it here.
About the ship:
Some information about the S.S. Montreal can be found at http://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?67869 and various other places on the web. This 470-foot steamer was launched in 1900 by the Canadian Pacific Line. Having been converted to a troop ship, it sank off of the coast of England in 1918 following a collision with another steamliner from the White Star Line, the same English company that operated the famous R.M.S. Titanic, lost off the coast of Canada six years earlier.